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Chinese Egg Rolls

Hold the cabbage! The takeout industry has given egg rolls a bad name, but in the 1940s, Gourmet readers clamored for a genuine version of the "Chinese delicacy." Our answer was fragrant with garlic, scallions, shiitakes, shrimp, and roast pork.

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Preparation

Make filling:

Stir together oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and salt in a small bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved.

Heat a dry 12-inch heavy skillet (not nonstick) over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add 2 tablespoons peanut oil, swirling skillet to coat. Stir-fry ginger, garlic, and scallions until scallions are wilted, about 1 minute. Add celery, carrots, and mushrooms and stir-fry until vegetables are softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Push vegetables toward edge of skillet, then add shrimp to center and stir-fry until shrimp are just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Add pork and oyster sauce mixture and stir together all ingredients in skillet until combined. Season with salt and transfer to a large shallow bowl. Cool, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Make egg rolls:

Gently peel apart wrappers to separate if necessary (wrappers may not be perfectly square).

Put 1 wrapper on a work surface, arranging wrapper with a corner nearest you and keeping remaining wrappers covered with plastic wrap. Stir filling, then spread a scant 1/4 cup filling horizontally across center of wrapper to form a 4-inch log. Fold bottom corner over filling, then fold in side corners. Brush top corner with egg and roll up wrapper tightly to enclose filling, sealing roll closed with top corner. Transfer roll, seam side down, to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Make more egg rolls in same manner, transferring to baking sheet as formed (you may have some filling left over).

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 250°F. Line a large colander with paper towels. Heat 1 inch peanut oil in a 5- to 6-quart wide heavy pot until it registers 350°F on thermometer, then fry 4 or 5 egg rolls (don't crowd pot), turning with a slotted spoon, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to colander and drain rolls upright 2 to 3 minutes, then keep warm on a rack set on a large baking sheet in oven. Fry remaining egg rolls in batches, transferring to colander and then to rack in oven.

Cooks' notes:

· Filling can be made 1 day ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Stir before using. · Egg rolls can be fried 4 hours ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Reheat in 1 layer on a rack set over a baking sheet in middle of a preheated 350°F oven, turning once, until crisp and centers are warmed through, 15 to 20 minutes. (Reheated rolls will not be as crisp.)

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Recent Reviews

After such great reviews I had to try this recipe. I added finely sliced napa cabbage and left the ginger pieces a little bigger. It was wonderful. My family ate them up! I was lucky to have one for lunch tomorrow. Will definitely do again.

melissat5 from Houston, TX /

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Really delicious. I cut the shrimp in four chunks. Really meaty and delicious. Great for dinner parties because you can make the stuffing the night before and just fry them up, last minute, the day of.

brutusln from Los Angeles, CA /

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I was so happy to find an egg roll recipe that had such great reviews! I came up a little short on the shitake mushrooms and didn't use the pork, but otherwise, followed the recipe as written. I made them for my hubby for Valentine's Day...and he was NOT disappointed! It will be hard to buy these anywhere after making them at home. Definitely a KEEPER! I'll be making these again soon. YUM!

Jennipurr from Round Hill, VA /

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Delicious fried very crisp. Subbed chicken for pork and shrimp because that's what I had. Very tasty. Served w/plum sauce and Sweet Baby Ray's sweet/sour sauce.

dherron from Grand Rapids, MI /

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Wow! These egg rolls were surprisingly easy to make, albeit, messy. I followed the recipe as written, with some leftover pork roast. The key is hot, hot oil. They cooked in minutes. I served with cream cheese rangoons from the Spark People site.